Episode #49: A Debate on Long Working Hours and Facebook PR Floods the Zone

Talking Shop Podcast

While vaccinations are happening and people are itching to get out from under the year-long COVID-19 pandemic, some parts of life may never go back to normal -- such as remote work. Ewan and Cam have a spirited debate on the merits of remote work, why some people thrive and others have problems adjusting. The discussion is against a backdrop of a Goldman Sachs deck in which analysts complain of a poor work-life balance. We try and get to the bottom of it.

Then we take aim (again) at Facebook. The MIT Technology Review published a lengthy article on Facebook's failures around AI and combatting disinformation -- particularly around the January 6 insurrection in Washington -- which triggered a multi-pronged response from Facebook PR. We talk about Facebook's tactics and debate what might work, and what just seems sleazy.

You'll want to stay right to the end for a hilarious story about 90s muscle man and "I can't believe it's not butter!" spokesperson Fabio, who had a rather unfortunate and bloody incident involving a goose and a rollercoaster. Yeah, you'll want to hear it.

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Links and Show Notes

• The Big, Stuck Boat is Glorious - The Atlantic
• 'I'm in a Really Dark Place': Complaints at Goldman Sachs Set Off a Workplace Debate - New York Times
• Goldman Sachs Working Conditions Survey - Google Drive
• The Great Vampire Squid Keeps on Sucking - Forbes
• How Facebook Got Addicted to Spreading Misinformation - MIT Technology Review
• Facebook Created an Employee 'Playbook' to Respond to Accusations of Polarization - BuzzFeed News

Check This Out

• Tina Turner's Life Explored in New Documentary - NPR
• It Has Been 20 Years Since Fabio Killed a Goose with His Face on a Rollercoaster - Medium

Hosts

Ewan Christie is an employment lawyer and partner at Duntrune LLP in Toronto, Canada.

Cam MacMurchy is a corporate communications executive with a multinational technology company listed in Hong Kong and curator of the Digital Bits PR and Communications newsletter. He also contributes to Apple news website 9to5Mac and shares his thoughts on PR, media, travel, and technology on his website.